Hope Can Be a Dangerous Thing
by kb-krista
Summary: AU. Alice did not have the vision of Bella jumping over the cliff. Just how strong is Edward’s control? Set a few weeks after the jump.
1. Chapter 1

The pain was unbearable. Every time I thought of even the slightest memory of Bella, the pain eternally in my mind became physical. This meant that I was always in pain, for what was there to think of but my sweet Bella? Of her blushes, of the conversations we had, the surprises always in store for me. Her acceptance of me, so unnatural. The love in her eyes. The love turning to horror, then resignation, at my cruel words. How Bella, how could you believe my lies? How could anyone but you satisfy me, be my soul mate? Only you…

I was out of that disgusting attic and running full-speed due north before I realized what I was doing. I immediately stopped running. Just because Bella was the only one for me, I could not be the only one for Bella. Some other man is meant to spend his _life_ with her. Some other man is meant to be there when she waked, to caress her, to kiss her… My frustration ripped a scream from my throat before I controlled myself. As the birds flew from the trees, I sank to my knees, sobbing dry tears. A thought came, one that I immediately pushed away. No matter how much I was suffering, I could not allow Bella to suffer as well. She could never see me again. I promised her that she would never see me- but could I see her?

This random thought immediately quieted me. The idea was so tempting- but no. I promised. But if she never saw me, did not get the slightest hint I was near… I could feel the hope flame in my chest, and knew that I couldn't survive letting go of it.

And I was off, Forks-bound once more.


	2. Chapter 2

I was well past the border of our land before I realized what the strange, repellent scent was. I should have identified it much earlier, but the excitement of seeing Bella made my mind process much slower than usual. _What were werewolves doing on Cullen land?_ was my first thought, the second _Bella!_

I started again, and in minutes I was at her house. The werewolf scent surrounded her house, but I could tell that none were present at the moment. This was unimportant, as the scent that represented Bella was stronger, if just. I let myself enjoy the luscious smell that I had denied myself for months. Though I was very anxious to see my love, I realized that it was well that she was not in the house at the moment. The scent would have been overwhelming, and as I had not hunted in much longer than safe, I would have posed a threat to my darling Bella, something completely unacceptable. I noticed that Charlie's scent was faint as well. Judging from the position of the sun, they were most likely at school and work.

To prevent myself from visiting the local high school in the bright sunlight, I concentrated on the wolf scent. It really was atrocious. I did not like the fact that the scent was almost as strong as Bella's and Charlie's. That meant that the dog was familiar with the house, and had been there a short time ago.

As I could not do anything about the dog at the moment, I decided I would hunt. That would make my thoughts more coherent, a necessary step before coming close to Bella. I smiled as the thought crossed my mind. I was to be close to Bella before the day was done!

* * *

By the time I finished hunting, school had almost let out for the day. I wanted to lay in wait at her house, but thought that perhaps that wasn't the brightest plan. Hunting had cleared my mind of bloodlust, though the watery deer blood tasted worse than usual, tempted as I was by my close proximity to Bella's house. However, I no longer had to concentrate on ignoring my bloodlust, though my mind was still not functioning at its highest capacity. Random fits of euphoria interrupted my plotting frequently; thoughts of Bella even more so. Finally I arrived at a plan. Granted, it was shaky at best, but it was all I could do at the moment. I sped off toward La Push, to find out why the dogs were on my property, and, more importantly, on Bella's. 


	3. Chapter 3

I stopped just before the line that divided our property from that of the Quileutes. From the smell, it appeared that I had arrived on a much traveled path. Chances were that some wolf or another would discover me shortly.

It actually did not take much time at all. Not ten minutes had passed when I heard the mind of a werewolf. I could immediately tell it was a wolf because though there was only one prominent voice, there were several underlying influences as well. The last time this had occurred was when Carlisle had originally arranged the treaty with the wolves. I listened silently as the wolf picked up my scent, panicked slightly, then warned his counterparts before coming to see the threat that was me. As the dog came into view, he processed who I was, and though he did not relax, a different kind a tension coursed through his body.

_Sam, it's Bella's Cullen. _Hearing her name in such casual use distracted me so much I almost missed the rest of his sentence._ Someone has to warn Jacob. _The boy from prom? What did he have to do with anything? Was he the werewolf that spread his stink all over Bella's house? Oh no. Bella could not have replaced me with a sixteen-year-old _werewolf_.

I forced my hands to unclench and my face to remain impassive. Then I heard another voice within this wolf's head. _Jared, you stay there, and DON'T cross the boundary line. Embry, go get Jake, but ensure he stays away. I want him patrolling my area, not losing his temper at the leech. Paul, continue your route. _This had to be the Alpha, for though the one dog grumbled at his task of patrol, he did not disobey the orders. From listening, I realized that _Jake_ was at Bella's house already, though school had just let out. Suddenly tense, I pleaded the wolf in front of me,

"Tell him not to let Bella know I'm here." His thoughts were filled with shock, until he thought _Oh yeah. Bella said he's a mind reader. Can you hear me, bloodsucker?_

Bella told them I could read minds? Even though I knew that she had good cause to betray me, I still felt the betrayal keenly. I gave the dog a curt nod.

Sam's voice came through. _Why are you here, vampire? Has your family returned and wondering at our presence on your land? _

"My family has not returned. I am alone. And yes, I was wondering at the werewolf scent on my land." While I was discussing this with the Alpha, the wolf in front of me was thinking distracting thoughts about this _child_ and my Bella. Holding hands, laughing, or hanging around the house, the images were killing me. Because this wolf was in Jacob's mind, I could also see how utterly in love with Bella he was. And I knew this wasn't like that idiot Mike Newton, who pretty much only wanted to "bang" her; his words, not mine. No, I could tell that this Jacob loved Bella almost as much as I did. And that knowledge tore at me.

Meanwhile, the Alpha was continuing to talk with me as he got closer. I wasn't paying him much attention until I heard the word _Victoria._ I snarled, the sound echoing throughout the woods. The Alpha appeared in my line of sight, and I was able to speak directly to him.

"Victoria? In Forks? Why isn't she dead yet?" I whirled around and slammed my fist into a rather large oak. It went flying.

I stood still for a moment, breathing heavily from rage, rather than exertion. The Alpha continued to approach as if my outburst had not happened. When he reached the boundary, mere meters from me, he answered.

_Our focus has firstly been protection, and therefore we cannot go on a full-out hunt and run her down. She also is extremely good at running away, and refuses to fight us head on, for obvious reasons. We have been trying for almost a month to kill her, but she is very determined to get to Bella._

Why didn't I see this coming? As soon as I lost her in Texas, I should have returned to ensure Bella's safety. Or returned after going to Brazil. I should never have assumed she was a small threat. What had I been thinking?

There was only one solution to my idiocy. That much was obvious. Victoria must be terminated. However, if her ability to escape was supernatural, I needed the help of the dogs. As much as I hated to admit it, it was due to them that Bella was alive at the moment, not me. I no longer was her hero, her Superman. Instead, she had a pack of mangy dogs for that. But there was one last thing I could so for her.

"If I allow you on my property until she is finished, will you allow me the same courtesy?" I asked, turning to face him. The Alpha was expecting the question, but I decided to outline my idea to him anyway. "I obviously have talents that you do not posses. Victoria would find it very difficult to escape from me."

The Alpha agreed with my ideas, but mentioned that he required Jacob's opinion before making a final decision.

I began pacing on the boundary line. We couldn't just _wait_ for this dog to change to wolf form. Every minute, every second we delayed, Victoria was existing, breathing, running, and plotting my beloved Bella's demise. That was completely unacceptable.

A moment later, I heard Jacob's conscience within the Alpha's mind.

_What the hell is going on? What-_ he paused as he listened to his companions. When he realized that I had returned, he gave a fierce snarl and began charging in my general direction.

_Jacob, stop where you are._ Much as he did not want to, the dog stopped. _I don't want you here, Jake. I don't trust your temper around this one._ The wolf snarled, but did not move.

_Can you hear me, bloodsucker? What the hell are you doing in Forks again? Bella- _I grimaced as her beautiful name came to his mind, and he gave a wolfish grin. Bella _said you promised never to return._

He was very good at covering his thoughts, no doubt because of the special link between the wolves. I still knew, however, that though he was worried about what my presence would do to his 'chances' with Bella, he was even more worried about what it would do to her, personally. Damn him.

"I did not promise that, specifically. I promised that she would never be bothered by my presence again, as if I had never been part of her life. As I do not intend to make her aware that I am once again in Forks, I do not see how I am breaking my promise." His relief was evident in his thoughts. He had a brief thought concerning Bella disappearing again, but it was so fleeting that I did not understand what he meant by it. Bella, disappearing? She hadn't left Forks, had she?

_Then you're just here to check up on her then? See how much pain you caused her, gloat over her misery, is that it?_ He stood on all fours and began pacing.

His accusations shocked me. I had difficulty collecting myself before answering. "I came hoping that she had moved on, and that she was safe from monsters of all kinds. That is the reason I left her; her life had become much too hazardous for my liking. My reasoning was that if there is no longer a family of vampires in her vicinity, her life would no longer be in mortal danger. I realize now that this is faulty, that she is still surrounded by monsters."

_At least now she isn't surrounded by monsters that want to eat her!_

"But previously the monsters had more self-control. And she wasn't hunted by a murderous vampire, whom my family would have been able to destroy."

_That's your own bloody fault-_ was all Jacob was able to rip out before the Alpha silenced him.

_Remember, Jake, this is a diplomatic meeting, not the schoolyard._ Jacob quieted his dark thoughts reluctantly. _I agree with the- with Edward on one point. His family may have had better luck with the red-haired vampire than us, considering their extra talents. I think we should work with him to destroy the leech, and you two can continue your lovely conversation later. Preferably when the four of us aren't forced to listen to it. _

_We don't need his help! We almost had her last week! And we finished the black-haired leech._ Jacob protested. However, we could all see that he knew that he would have to agree to fight alongside me, in the stead of against me. Knowing this, he finally conceded. _However, leech, I will not make this easy for you._


	4. Chapter 4

The dog was true to his promise. He continually bombarded me with disturbing images, relentless in his torture. Although I was determined to keep my personal pain far from his enjoyment, he still knew the amount of pain that his memories and fantasies evoked. The worst part was being unable to anticipate when and what would come next. At times, the dog would think of Bella, my beautiful Bella, in _his_ arms, clearly happy. Or he would reminisce of the time after I left her in the woods, Bella in an almost comatose state, the anguish on her beautiful features evident. He also occasionally thought of Laurent or Victoria, and the danger that I had left for Bella. The constant emotional extremes of jealousy, rage, and guilt were so intense that I had to struggle to remain an asset mentally to the wolves. Though the Alpha was obviously aware of the dog's ambitions, short of outright hostility, he did not attempt to curb Jacob's thoughts. He seemed to agree with Jacob, and, truthfully, myself that his mental attacks were the least of what I deserved.

Actually meeting the dog that was in love with Bella proved very interesting. Though I had seen him in the others' memories and thoughts, my mind automatically reverted him to the boy of fifteen years I had met at the prom. The dog I met was undoubtedly a man, and not only in physique. Sacrificing his future for the protection of his tribe had caused him to grow emotionally, and when that was added to the maturity gained by caring for his wheelchair-bound father, plus the fact that he loved Bella as much as he was able, the sensible part of me almost thought that Bella could have chosen a worse person for a best friend. However, the selfish and therefore dominant part of my character thought him an aggressive, irritable dog with severe temper issues. The fact that he was mentally torturing me did not improve my outlook.

The meeting consisted of the Alpha and his second, which happened to be the dog Jacob, plus one wolf the others referred to as Jared. The other three were on patrol, protecting their tribe and my Bella. They were still able to participate in the meeting mentally, however.

We discussed strategy for hours. Several ideas were presented and discarded. Finally a plan was agreed on, one that I found incredibly distasteful, but that had the highest chance of victory. Though I had not had an excellent look into her mind, there was one thing I did know about Victoria; she was proud. Though she was up against six werewolves to her one vampire, she had not given up because she was wholly confident in our race's superiority. However, I was of the opinion that once she realized a vampire had also joined the hunt, she would run, and ensure the odds were in her favour before returning. Therefore, my presence needed to be disguised at all cost. How else to do so but cover my scent with something repellent?

The wolves certainly enjoyed covering me with their scent. It was more my absolute distaste than the actual process. Though I did not breathe unless I was forced to talk, the horrible odor permeated my body until I couldn't help but smell it.

The wolf Embry was assigned to accompany me for the first shift, to be my link to the others while on patrol. The Alpha apparently thought he had the most talent in controlling emotions.

So, where last week I was sitting in the attic of a deserted house, I was now patrolling Quiluete land, accompanied by a dog and smelling of high heaven.

Which is why I really should have anticipated the call from my sister.

In my defense, my own less than engaging conversations had caused my family to very rarely call my number. So it is understandable how I made such an oversight. Yet when the shrill noise of my phone echoed through the forest, I could hardly believe I could be so incompetent when attempting to save the life of the person who mattered most in this world. My own thoughts were echoed by the wolves, most prominently by Jacob. I only had time to register Alice's number before I shut my phone off. I couldn't afford to have Victoria come into hearing range as I was having a conversation with my sister. The only chance we had of an ambush was if I heard her mentally before she heard us physically.

My error provided the wolves with entertainment throughout the night. Jacob and the newly-turned Quil had a very long conversation about it for the others' amusement. Lucky me, to be privy to _that_ conversation. I had to wait until Quil was replaced on patrol to be spared.

The hours passed. The wolves were arranged so that every wolf was on patrol for sixteen hours, then off for eight. Though they were very boisterous within each other's minds, to the outside they were silent and alert, carefully placing each step so that they made the minimum amount of noise. I have to admit they were practiced at protecting their own. Though I would have infinitely preferred sharing the job with my family, of course.

It was shortly after Sam had replaced Embry as my patrol companion when I heard her. Though normally I would have heard her with my ears first, she was obviously taking pains to keep quiet. However, her thoughts were loud and clear.

…_wish I was as talented as James was… then he would be revenged properly… this bitch would already be dead… what is with her? She is so fragile, so pathetic, yet everyone seems to want her alive. Huh. Well, she won't be for long…_ Visions of a screaming and bloody Bella filled her mind, and she took immense pleasure from her imaginings. Sam glanced back at me, inquiring why I had stopped walking, before comprehension filled his mind.

_The leech is here, isn't she?_ I nodded tersely, and then pointed in the direction her thoughts were coming from. I couldn't risk making an audible sound. Sam immediately began organizing the wolves.

_Quil, go wake Paul and Embry. Jared, stay with Bella. Jake, follow First Beach until you reach the cliffs, then come find me. That should put us behind her, correct?_ He asked me. I listened briefly to her strategy, then nodded. The wind rose, so I took the opportunity to whisper,

"Once she gets past La Push, she will sacrifice stealth for speed. The only opportunity to ambush her is now." I felt the two wolves that were not patrolling join the group consciousness. The three in La Push raced to position themselves, as did Jacob. Their excitement was palpable. They were finally going to destroy the threat that had been haunting them for weeks.

As soon as the wolves were in position, I took a deep breath, then, using my speed to its full extent, sprinted in front of the vampire attempting to destroy Bella's life. Victoria barely reacted until I was directly in her face. The utter shock in her features and thoughts made me smile. Victoria's blanch informed me it was not a nice smile. My smile widened as she tried to collect herself. Her mind automatically began plotting escape routes, but I quickly dashed that hope.

"You are completely surrounded, Victoria. There will be no escape for you today." She whirled around, noticing for the first time the wolves that circled the clearing. The inevitability of the situation was present on her mind as she turned back to me, hate marring her features.

"I have no care for my own life," she spat at me. "You took my reason for living." She then threw herself at me, which I of course anticipated early enough to of-set her attack. As she hurtled by me, I hit the back of her head hard enough that she fell to the ground. The wolves jumped on this opportunity and by the time I arrived at her body, all it required was a flame. She hadn't even had time to lay a scratch on any of them.

I looked at the wolves as they piled up pieces of the vampires still-moving body. The fight had gone way too quickly for my taste; tension was still shaking through my body. Sam looked up as though he knew what I was thinking.

_We couldn't chance her getting away so that you could work through your rage._ I looked away, silently showing my understanding. It was selfish of me to want Victoria to live longer when that meant Bella was still threatened. I reached my hand into my pocket, pulling out the matchbook. The wolves had arranged Victoria's remains with kindling on top, so all I had to do was light the match and drop it. Victoria, still conscious, allowed her thoughts to be absolutely consumed with fear briefly, until the fire consumed her silent screaming. I didn't move, watching the heat of the fire consume all that was once my enemy. When there was nothing left but ashes, I buried them unceremoniously under a tree.

When I was finished, the only one with me was Sam, still in wolf form.

_We thank you, vampire, for assisting us with this enemy. We could not have completed our duty without you. _I nodded my acceptance. _Now that your task is complete, I must ask you to leave our lands, not returning without express from the Alpha of the pack._ Again I nodded tersely, then turned and began to run.

At the edge of the clearing, I stopped. My pride was warring with the manners my mother had taught me all those years ago. My mother won. Without turning around, I whispered "Thank you." Then, before I could disgrace myself further, I disappeared into the foliage.


End file.
